DES MOINES, Iowa — Des Moines will construct two solar fields on the city’s southeast side after plans were approving by the City Planning and Zoning Commission last week.
The fields will be the first in the metro and are expected to help eliminate fossil fuel usage by 2035 – one of the main goals of the city's sustainability plan.
“The most important factor about the solar panel is that we're leading by example, we're demonstrating that we're committed to the goals that we established last year. And it's just one piece of our larger efforts to implement sustainability across our organization,” said Jeremy Caron, the city’s sustainability project manager.
The solar panel fields will be located near Southeast 15th and Maury streets on city properties. Currently, Des Moines is in the process of vacating some city segments so the four-acre site can be better developed.
The project is estimated to cost between $3 and $4 million. According to city spokesperson Devin Perry, the solar fields will save money on energy costs, but a timeline for a return on investment has not yet been determined.